The Federal Bureau of Investigation has removed an Accenture contractor following a damaging data breach that exposed sensitive personal information of thousands of FBI employees, according to two sources familiar with the matter. FBI cyber chief Brett Leatherman said the incident resulted from a security failure involving a third-party platform after a contractor failed to apply a critical security patch. The FBI said it has taken steps to mitigate further risks and protect its workforce.
The platform involved was Oracle’s PeopleSoft human resources system, which the hacking group ShinyHunters has claimed was exploited to gain access to the FBI’s job site. The third-party organization managing the platform was identified by the sources as Accenture. Oracle did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Accenture said it was proud to support the FBI’s mission but did not address questions about the contractor or the alleged failure to patch the system.
The breach has raised serious concerns within the FBI and the wider intelligence community. Earlier warnings from Google and Oracle highlighted a vulnerability in PeopleSoft and urged organizations to apply security updates without delay. The compromised data reportedly included sensitive details about FBI employees’ counterintelligence roles, addresses of human intelligence operatives, and medical and psychiatric records, underscoring the potential operational and security consequences of the breach.
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